The present invention relates to electric machines. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a liquid cooling arrangement for electric machines.
Electric machines, whether they be motors or generators, are well known in the art. It is also widely known that electric machines generate heat as a by-product and that this heat must be somehow extracted from the machine to improve the performances of the machine and prevent early degradation of the machine.
Conventionally, electric machines are often air-cooled. This is easily done by providing apertures in the body of the machine to let air be forced therein. The efficiency of such a cooling arrangement is poor since air is a generally non-efficient cooling fluid. Furthermore, some electric machine operate in environment that are such that it is not possible to provide an electric machine with apertures.
Electric machines using cooling fluid have also been designed. For example, European Patent Number 0,503,093 entitled xe2x80x9cLiquid Cooling Device of Motorxe2x80x9d and naming Nakamura as inventor discloses an electric motor where the laminations are provided with apertures allowing an axial flow of cooling liquid when the laminations are assembled. A drawback of Nakamura""s system is the risk of failure of the motor caused by leaks. Indeed, a failure-causing link could spring should the seal between adjacent laminations fail.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved liquid cooling arrangement for electric machines.
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided A cooling arrangement for electric machines comprising:
a heat storing element provided with generally C-shaped channels;
a cooling tube so configured and sized as to be insertable in said C-shaped channels of said heat storing element;
wherein a) said cooling tube, once inserted in said channels is deformed to conform to the C-shaped channels; and b) heat stored in said heat storing element is extractable by said cooling tube.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a An electric machine comprising:
a generally hollow cylindrical stator;
a rotor rotatably mounted to said stator;
a cooling arrangement including:
a heat storing element provided with generally C-shaped channels; said heat storing element being associated with said stator to extract heat therefrom;
a cooling tube so configured and sized as to be insertable in said C-shaped channels of said heat storing element;
wherein a) said cooling tube, once inserted in said channels is deformed to conform to the C-shaped channels; and b) heat stored in said heat storing element is extractable by said cooling tube.
It is to be noted that the expression xe2x80x9celectric machinexe2x80x9d is to be construed herein as encompassing both electric motors and electric generators disregarding the technology used in these machines.
Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reading of the following non-restrictive description of preferred embodiments thereof, given by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.